Something wonderful has happened....

I've been working on saying Thank You to you for just about everything. I figured we should start practicing being gracious since the holidays are coming and I'd rather you learn this lesson sooner than later.

You've said Thank You for eons now, but now you've added "wa-come come." Which apparently means You're welcome or Welcome! I was all sorts of giggly when I figured it out. You don't always get the timing right. Sometimes you'll hand me something and say "Oooooh! Dag you! Wa-come come!" We'll get there though. I'm just happy that at 27mos you get the concept!

ALL NEW this week

Boot
Eye[s]
Nose
Teeth
Sock

It's so funny
Sit Down

For the record, I think these are about to turn in to monthly posts. You've added SOOOO MUCH, sometimes it's hard for me to figure out that you're saying a word until a few days later when you've repeated it for me several times in context.

You're more awesome every day. I can't stand it most times. Sit down is probably the funniest though, you sign it while you say it. You expect us to sit riiiight next to you, you'll keep patting the floor around you until you've found the right spot for us to sit. It's hysterical

More growing up.

We ditched the pacifier cold turkey exactly 16 days ago.

I'm still going to call it cold turkey even thought daddy caved and gave it to you one night so I could sleep and two nights ago you found it and stuffed it in your sweet little pie hole.

You never had a name for it, so you don't ask for it. There are two things that I have noticed though; I can no longer move a sleeping you from a car to a crib, you wake up as soon as any part of you touches the mattress; aaaaaand nap time is now the bane of my exsistence. As soon as I tell you it's time for night night/naps you start with the crocodile tears and the marathon around the house trying to outrun me. It's hilarous and heartbreaking all at once. You cry and yell when I have to put you in your crib, sometimes I even get hit or pinched.

I know that it will stop, eventually. I just wish it would hurry up and happen.

This is getting GOOOOD

You can't do the Lasso with Psy and that makes you super frustrated and mad.

BUT

You learned how to fist bump and you love it.

Thanks for being boss.

6 months is really 5

Tomorrow morning we have our 6 month meeting with Ms Mary and Ms Carrie to talk about how everything is going and to write up a new Family Service Plan. I kept saying that I couldn't believe it's been 6mos and then I realized, it hasn't been. There was about a month lapse between when we had your evaluation and when we were actually assigned to an agency. Rules are rules though, so a 6 month meeting it is.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, you've made A LOT of progress since May, but I have no idea where you are in realtionship to where your vocabulary and communication "should" be. I worry about things like services stopping, that gets me very nervous. I've seen a whole new you now that you can tell me more about the world around you and I love it. I don't want that to stop.

Let's not think about all of the things that make me crazy, let's talk about all the new and awesome you say.


Airplane
All Gone
Bounce
Box
Car
Cool
Duck
Get Him
Good Job
Got You
It's stuck
Jump
Hand
Head
Help
Hey
Mine
Oh no
Ok
Pig
Please
Pull
Pumpkin
Rock
Sorry
See You [Later]
Slide
Sun
Train
Wait
Water
Whoa
Where did it go


All of that adds up to super amazing as far as I'm concerned. With the help of Ms Mary and me CONSTATNLY talking to you, your vocabulary has more than doubled. Let's keep this crazyness up.

What does Mommy love feel like?

Boredom.

Here I sit, bored outta my SKULL because you're in the middle of a nap-a-thon and I want to play.

Dishes are done.
Laundry is drying.
Toys are picked up.
Rugs vacuumed.

WAKE UP!

This isn't going to be fun, for anyone.

Your 2 year well visit was this morning.

We have a referal for a Pediatric GI in Buffalo and an order for bloodwork, I'm not looking forward to either appointment.

You're still tall and you're still down some weight. I figure it's not easy to pack the pounds on anymore. Since you're ALWAYS running around and jumping and dancing any chance you get.

Hopefully we can get all of our questions answered without a stay in the hospital. Having you in there for anything makes me very nervous.

You rock!

Much like me, you collect rocks.

You pick them up while we're out adventuring and the MUST come home. You've got a fantastic collection growing already.

AND TODAY, you said rock.

Technically you said rah- but those fricatives are hard!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAN!

You made it!

I wasn't sure you would since you started trying to shove everything known to man in your ears, nose and mouth; but you did it.

You're talking more and more- to the point where I'm probably going to stop keeping track of all of the new things you're saying. While that makes me a little sad, it's exciting to think that you're catching up and communicating with us about all the stuff you see!


Margaret likes:

• giraffes
• puzzles
• visiting Mr Jim and Ms Lynn
• lip gloss
• picking Poppa's tomatoes
• riding in laundry baskets
• dancing
• having her nails painted
• playing in the sand box
• going to the playground

Margaret DOES NOT like:

• having her hair brushed or washed
• having socks on

Another late start, my appologies

In the last 2-3 days you've added MORE words and I've figured a few others out.

Either way, coolest ever.

ah-po: hippo
i see i see: hershey's kiss
bid-a bid-a: ribbit ribbit

You've started saying cup and monkey is now called a-mee. I like to think you're saying ami and all my french speak at you paid off- but probably not. You even have "all GONE" now. You sometimes differentiate between all done and all gone correctly, but I'm not sure if that's purposeful or not.

No and Ok are STILL your most used words/phrases. Ok still makes me smile most times. No? I could do with out it.

I try to comb your hair, "Ah, no. No. Nono. No?" And it just goes on.

You have lost your right to m&m's

Well, not totally.

You will now only be given m&m's one at a time. Even the minis. You may regain the right to m's on the willy nilly eventually, but it's going to be a while.

Tonight you put more than 3 minis up your nose.

Never.again.

I was that awesome toddler mom calling the peds at 7:00P with the RIDICULOUS question: Whay do I do if there is something stuck in my toddler's nose? The nurse did have a good laugh after I told her that you had blue snot, I did not laugh.


In closing, stop that.

I didn't see that one coming.

You told me to go away, clear as day.

"Go away, mama."

So I did. And I giggled.

No one really knows when this started, my appologies

You've been saying Ok, to everything. It sort of snuck in to your vocabulary. There have been a few words that  I don't pick up on until a few days later, this was one of them. You probably said it a few times a day, but it really didn't make sense given the context so I wasn't sure that you were actually saying ok.

Since you weaseled it in, it won't stop. You say it about 4,000 times a day. More than you ever said all right.

You only live once right?

Just 3 weeks shy of your second birthday and you've already had pop. Flat gingerale to be specific. You've had a pretty terrible tummy ache for the past 4-5 days, I probably could have given it to you sooner. I was just trying to aviod putting anything else in your tum that might upset it.

You also ate sand today. So there's that too.

I MISS YOU!

You must miss Ms Meg. You told her so today. I've never known you to lie.

I understand that you can't really miss me, since we're mostly always together.

I almost forgot!

You started saying good job today too! I'm a super fan of the multiple word combination game. Maybe by your birthday we'll be getting whole SENTENCES!

Elmo!

In the last few days you've become quite fond of helping with laundry. It's really just you giggling and throwing yourself around on the bed in a pile of clean clothes- it certainly is adorable though.

Tonight while you were helping, you found one of your Elmo shirts. You straightened it out and said, "El mo mo mo mo." It was without a doubt the best part of my day today.

HEAD!

You keep doing things that confuse me. You'll say something and then start moving your hands, arms, legs or whatever. For the first few minutes I have noooo idea what you're doing.

A few days ago you were trying to bumble bee me, it was adorbs.

TODAY! You said head and put both hands on your head! Then you did a little wiggle and started to dance. Then both hands were on your head again. Suddenly I realised you were doing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. I sang it for you and you super impressed me with all of your moves. You didn't quite get the shoulders in there, but you got damn near every other body part- color me amazed!

MINE!

You'd been saying something like "mine" for a while. It didn't always have context so I wasn't sure that's what you were trying to say.

HOWEVER! Daddy picked up your bunny and you very clearly said "MINE!" and snatched him out of daddy's hand.

Whoa!

Today you added pull.
Yesterday you said jin. I'm still not sure if it was supposed to be Jen or Jim. I'm pretty sure Hunkle Jim is going to attest that it was in fact JIM. We'll never know the truth.

That means you added 3 new words in three days. I'm hoping this means that we're about to be hit with an avalanche of vocabulary.

Shut the front door!

Yesterday, you said door to Miss Sam. You needed to be outside, she needed to know. When she didn't understand door you added the MOST important part, open.

Open Door.

You're seriously the best baby twoddler ever.

DUSK!

I've made a habit of looking in the mirror with you before we leave the bathroom after baths. I usually just ask "Who is that?" you giggle, we go.

TONIGHT: you were pulling the hood of your duck towel down over your face so I asked you, "Margaret, what is that?" and you yelled "DUSK! QWAAAAAAAN!"

Flabbergasted.
Thanks for being awesome.

I think I should thank [blame] Dora

You didn't like Dora when you were smaller. It made you mad, I was ok with that. The songs annoy me, sorry kid.

Now? You love her. Watching Dora has upped your ohno quotient. Whenever you see Swiper, it starts. You've started saying it again in everyday conversation as well. HOWEVER Dora has also given you someone to talk to. When it's on you spend most of the episode watching, buy you'll spend at least half of it talking or yelling at the TV. You even like to count with her.

She also helped solidify two new words in your vocab, hop and jump. Totally cool with me.

I think I'll let her be your friend for a little bit more. I reserve the right to retract that statement at any time though. ; )

I suppose it's also worth mentioning that since you've started watching Dora more, we've seen a ressurgnece of "thanks" or "thank you" and "I did it." So she might not be all bad.

Now we're getting somewhere!

Tonight when you got out of the tub, you were sad and decided that you needed to have a daddy carry you, not me. When I opened the door to leave the bathroom you said "oh no da-dee wah zoo" OOOR "oh no! daddy, where are you?"

I'm beyond thrilled! You're putting words together!

AND!

When daddy went to leave for work, you said "bye da-dee uz ooze" OOOR "bye daddy, love you!"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad that you said it to him and not me, but the fact of the matter is: you said it. So it's only a matter of time before you say it to me. : )

I also think it's super sweet that if you ask for UP and you get picked up, you'll pat our back and say, "Oh, nice. So nice."

Bunny!

You spied with your little eye, a bunny! You were saying cat as you walked towards it. I kept saying, "Do you see the bunny? What a cute bunny!" and eventually you stopped to look at me and said "bun?" I was super impressed.

When we went on our walk later that night you saw a pair of bunnies and started yelling  "BUN BUNS!" from your stroller, I LOL'd.

HI-YA!

...not the casual greeting.

Some how you learned how to judo chop and HIYA! while at poppa's house.

You are kung fu toddler.

You're going to give me a heart attack, or kill yourself, NBD

You must have some labrador or terrier in you because you're chewing EVERYTHING.

I'm not sure how many crayons you've eaten in the last week, let alone your entire LIFE. You keep putting toys, books and body parts in your mouth. It's vexing my mommy brain so.

Today, you decided that there was something you needed to taste before the day was done: teal. The marker, the color, the ESSENCE. You've put the tips of markers in your mouth before, so that wasn't surprising. What was surprising was the marker coming out of your mouth, without a tip.

There you sat, happily chewing away on the tip of the teal Crayola Pip Squeak. I must admit I was so shocked that it took me a minute to realize I should yank whatever I could out of your mouth.

I don't know why we're back to chewing on most things and licking everything else, but it would be the highlight of my year if you could stop.

No more Mick

Tonight you said Mike. Which is pretty awesome. Although, you keep calling the one picture of Hunkle Mike with glasses Daddy. To be fair, it is a small picture and he's got a silly smile like daddy sometimes has. So we'll go with it.

The next step will be convincing you that your cousins have names other than Dean.

GO!

You and I have started going on walks at night. I try to get out there at least 3 times a week for at least 1.5miles. Some nights I go as far as 2!

Some nights I just walk, others there's some jogging and running involved, but whatever the cruising speed is, when I start out all I hear from you is "GO! GO! GO! GO!" Sometimes when I speed up from a walk to a jog or run you let out a "Weeeee" other times you look up and me and smile while you try to immitate my heavy breathing. I usually have to slow to a walk or stop at that point becuase I can't laugh, steer and run all at the same time. Or so I've learned.

22 Months

Never did I ever imagine how your imitation of my speech could impact me.

Today was a big day for you. You said "doggie," hissed like snake and tried to repeat a WHOLE phrase!

We went to the zoo for their members only night. You were SO EXCITED to go. We went right for the train because the line for that tends to get very long. Your excitement tapered off when I tried to sit you across from me rather than on my lap. You spent the entire ride saying "weee" and "wow," which I've come to expect; when we got off I said "Say thanks for the ride!" To which you replied, "Say fo da diiiiie." I wanted to scream and cry, I was so happy!

I feel like I'm watching you roll over again for the first time.

Holding my breath, every muscle in my body tight with anticipation- waiting. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about your progress. It's amazing to me to think that not even three months ago I could only make out 10 words and phrases. When I ask you to get in to your seat or even spit out a crayon- you do it! Three months ago you would have just gone on with whatever it was you were doing, as if I hadn't even said anything.

You're understanding me and I'm understanding you.

Awesome doesn't even come close.

That, was awesome

You put your very own shoes on your very own feet.

Ms Alysia and I were talking about her taking you outside. You yelled "ALL RIGHT!" and started knocking on the back door. To prove that you meant business, you got your shoes and put them on.

It's safe to say that I was shocked. Not by the fact that you're awesome, but by the fact that you could get shoes on by yourself at 22mos.

I thought I told you to stay out of there!

I've been building a Second Birthday Party stockpile in your closet since somewhere around the end of January.

It's on the side that never gets opened, so you didn't notice it. Until today. I was getting clothes out for you and you felt the need to come ensure that I was picking out something fashionable and weather appropriate. While looking through all of the shorts and pants you noticed a bag... a bag with Sesame Street character rings in it.

You promptly ran to the living room with it to show daddy what you'd found. You and I spent the next 40min putting different rings on while you admired them. Not sure what you're going to do when your closet throws up a whoooooole bunch of Sesame stuff all over the back yard in 2mos.

There it is!

Not nice [nah nii]

I told you it was time to get dressed, you apparently disagreed. When I tried to take your shirt off you said,  not nice.

Hooray!

Daddy and I both though you were saying something in jibberish- buuuut it was actually words!

Some time yesterday you added "All right!" to your repitoire.

As in:
I brought you some cookies.
All right!

We're going to the beach.
All right!

I think it's my favorite new word/phrase that you've added to date.

Apple

Daddy held out an apple and asked you if you wanted an apple with your lunch.

You started your ridiculously exaggerated nod and said "app-l."

I was shocked. This is my shocked face. : O

Looking Up

You were rowdy and wiggly- I thought running you around the neighborhood in the jogger for a while might help to mellow you out; I was right.

You laid back in the seat; you were just staring up at the wonderful overcast sky. The clouds would move just enough and you'd let out a sweet and soft "Wooooooow." Melted my mama heart ever so slightly.

Thank you! More please!

You're adding words and mimicing behaviors!

AAAAAAAAH!

Thank you, THANK YOU!

You've been hanging out as a two-dler [not quite a baby, not quite a toddler] for what has felt like years. I know that in reality, the longest it could have been is a year. I've just spent so long thinking about what you'll say to me when you really get going. I can't help but think about all of the awesome things that you're thinking and imagining- I can't wait to hear all about it.

Today, you said horse. Which is pretty awesome. You still aren't trying to say any of the other animal names, but you do make their noises when you see them in the Brown Bear and Polar Bear books. You were even making some noises at Ms Mary's animal magents. Which is pretty boss.

You'd been holding a finger to your mouth and shushing for a few months, but in the last two weeks if Ms Mary read you Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear? You would take your sweet little finger and point to your ear. I just about screamed the thrid time you did it. I get really excited the first time you do most things, the second time seems fairly lack luster because I can't tell if it's something that's going to stick or not. By the third time you seem to have a pretty good handle on it and that is awesome.

I wonder what words you'll add next....

Wooo Progress!

I'm pretty sure you made Ms Mary's day today.

You've got a tendency to run away when you hear her come in the door- you always come back fairly quickly, so that's good.

Today you gave her a coy smile and said hi after you ran away. When she asked you to help clean up the pieces to the puzzle you happily obliged! And when she went to leave you said "bye" and even blew her a kiss and waved. In the past you'd say bye, but it was to her car as she drove off; so she didn't actually hear you.

I was super impressed with you today and Ms Mary might have been too.

Sparkle Shoooooooes!

They finally came in the mail today. You shrieked with joy and yelled "OHWOW!" when I opened the shoe box. You didn't want to wear them, which I thought was a little odd, since you were so excited to see them. However, you've spent the last hour snacking and stomping in them. Pretty sure that means you love your new sparkle shoes and maybe I should have ordered another pair 2 sizes bigger.

Holy Crap.

You counted with me.

When you were just figuring out the whole talking thing you'd babble along with the appropriate cadence when they'd count on Sesame Street. Today while we were reading a book you actually said: three, four, six, seven, eight and ten. I was bamboozled! So daddy and I counted again- and you did it AGAIN!

Keep up the good work lady! Daddy and I rooting for you!

Hooray!

You've added: down, out[side] and go!

Whe you used to say up it was just uuuuh. Now? The P is audible!

I really can't believe it!

Some people think it's silly that I get this excited- what they don't know is that I've known for a while now that you had quite a bit to tell us and you couldn't. Now that you're adding words and even taking me by the hand or shirt to show me whatever it is you need help with- I'm so over joyed and astounded!

Meeeee-ow

For the FIRST TIME EVER you responded with the correct animal noise when I showed you an animal and asked "What's this?"

: D

Your Words and Phrases, 5/13

I wanted to make a list of all of the words you have BEFORE therapy starts. I figure this is an easy way for anyone playing along at home to watch your progress. There are a few words, that I can't currently think of, that you've only said once or twice. For the purposes of this list, and my failing brain, those words will not count.


All done [ah duuh]
Again [a din]
Ball [baa]
Balloon [boon]
Book [boou]
Bubble [buuhbaa]
Bye
Cat [ka]
Cookie [ko]
Lights [ices]
Hi
High Five [aye-ya]
Hug [ugg-a]
More [moo]
No
Open [op]
Peek-a-boo [ah boo]
This [dis, a dis]
Uh oh
Up
Yes [yus or iss]


Now this is where it's going to get a little silly. There are things that you say that sound like gibberish to the rest of the world- I've learned that some of it actually means something.


Chicken Nugget [a mick]
French Fry [ko-da]
Grape [jick jick]
Oscar, the Grouch [as-kiz]
Ready to go [bee a teak gooo]
Snack [ja duck ja duck]

Busy, busy!

Things are going to be a little crazy this week and I'm terribly sorry about that.

Monday is your first day of Speech Therapy. Ms Mary is going to come with some toys and a lot of questions. I'm hoping that you two get along and we can start understnading each other. I'm not sure what exactly to call all of these things I'm feeling.

I'm so excited to finally be able to hear what you have to say.
I'm nervous that all of the work is going to tire both of us out.
I'm worried that you won't like the therapist.
I'm terrified that it's not going to work.

I'm trying to keep my head clear of the later two for the time being. There's no way for me to know and there's nothing I can do to prevent either of those things right now- or possibly ever.

If you promise not to go crazy, I promise I won't go crazy either. : )

Bubble, bubble, POP!

This was not an unfortunate first for either of us, thankfully.

You snagged daddy's Bubblicious.

Thanks for not getting it in your hair.

^5

I cannot even begin to know how many times in your short life that I have asked you for a high five.

Any time I would ask for one, you would either just stare at me or go in for a hug. I won't lie, the hugs were pretty awesomely sweet.

I asked you for a high five not even 10 minutes ago- AND YOU DID IT! With your sly little stinker smile. You even did it another 6 times. I think it's safe to say that you now know what it means to high five.

You just got awesomer.

Early Intervention

I've been avoiding this. I don't want you to think that there's something wrong with you. I don't like the social stigmas that come with that kind of statement. You and I were both getting frustrated, I couldn't understand what you were trying to tell me and I could tell that you had something you felt you needed to tell me.

This morning Ms Jackie and Ms Julie brought two fantastic bags of tricks and toys. You got right down to business playing with them and exploring everything they had in their bags. We found out that you have done very nicely developing your motor skills- you're 10mos ahead of where you should be! We also learned that some of what I had suspected was right, your speech and communication is about 10mos behind.

At 19mos old your vocabulary sounds more like a 9-12mos old. Hearing that crushed me. I didn't know that most of what I was counting as part of your word base were what are referred to as declaratives or exclamations. Things like "uh oh," "no," "what's that," don't count as words on the evaluation. I was pretty sure that I was going to cry when I heard where they placed your speech.

I keep reminding myself that now:
1. You're going to get the help you need.
2. You're young enough that the delay shouldn't be apparent by the time you're in kindergarten.
3. I did what I was supposed to.

I'm having a really hard time not feeling guilty or upset about this. Logically, I know that your hearing was affected because you had ear infections which kept fluid in your ears. You had a hearing screening and birth but you didn't have another hearing test for the next 15mos. There is no way for anyone to accurately gauge when your hearing was affected, all we can do now is help you.

So that's what we're doing.

A few fantastic firsts

Today should have been your first East Egg Hunt; you had other plans. There were about 50 eggs all over the back yard for you. I figured that you'd run around picking them up and squealing since plastic eggs are one of your most favorite things to play with. You didn't. Instead you ran around the yard dodging the inferior eggs and picking up the 5 or so that you thought were best.

Aunt Rose opened one to show you what was inside. We both thought that if you saw that there were things INSIDE the eggs for once that you'd want to snatch them all up. Instead you ran off with your foil bunny to eat him out of sight.

So we got to hunt eggs instead.

You loved everything in your basket- which made me super happy. There were a set of Fisher Price Little People, a whole bunch of Silly Bands, Bubbles, a Book and a Playskool Poppin Pal. You seem to love the bubbles and popper best.

After your bath you SUPER surprised me. You picked out a nail polish color and then sat perfectly still while I painted your fingers and toes. When I was done you signed again, so I painted my toes. That resulted in some pretty awesome squeals of delight.

I had a hunch- and I was right

Tonight I climbed on the scale with you because you seemed heavier these past few days.

I was right.

28.2 lbs

I am so very thankful for that number. You lost a whole ton of weight this past fall when you were walloped on by multiple ear infections in a row. You never really seemed to catch up from that. You'd been hanging out around 24 lbs for ever. Pants that used to fit you were falling down and taking your diapers with them. The only thing that has me feeling even remotely hesitant is the thought that this may be your next growth spurt.

Which I am in no way ok with. I don't have a 3T stock pile! I'm also glad that you managed to stay in 24,/2T clothes for over 6mos. My wallet thanks you for that.

I'm curious to see how tall you are at your check up on Friday. I'm pretty sure you're closing in on 36" by now. But I could be wrong.

It's going to be a long day.

Before 6:00A today you:

• colored in a book, not a coloring book
• swiped my waffle
• snuggled BOTH cats
• drank the last of the orange juice
• pulled 10+ wipes from the box
• ate way too many grapes
• prefected your gymnastics floor routine
• drank from a cup, all by yourself
• licked my plate clean

Certainly an interesting and ROUSING start to my day.

ELMO!

We went to see Sesame Street Live tonight. We were supposed to go on Leap Day, which I thought would be awesome- but the schedule changed. So we had to go tonight.
You thought it was pretty boss. As soon as the music started you sat up suuuuper tall trying to see what was going on. You spent most of the show on daddy's lap. You bounced and wiggled, clapped and waved. I was way more excited than you and daddy were put together, but I'm used to it. : )

You loved going up the stairs all by yourself but you loved running down the aisle even more. You clearly couldn't sit still any more so we decided to go, there were only 10-15min left in the show so it wasn't really a big deal. After we made it downstairs you heard the music again and ran through one of the sets of open doors back in to the auditorium. There were a whole mess of kids dancing down there and you thought that was awesome- you started dancing right along with them. Which I thought was awesome.

We almost lost your precious Elmo at Shea's but Miss Sue found it and I made a mad dash back inside to get him.

I'm so glad we took you.

I don't think I'm ready to talk about it-

but I promise you I will.

It makes me so happy and proud to hear you say "ka," cat; "ko," cookie; "quan," quack.

While watching Rio you just yelled "HEY!" and started to dance right in time with the birds.

I'm so happy you can hear me lady bird- I'm listening and waiting for you.

Today I gave you one my my most prized possessions, Gaga's rocking chair. Gaga was one of my maternal Great Grandmother's. Her name was Emma. She was a proud and quiet woman. I wish I had gotten to know her, or even more about her. She died in the 70's, so, sadly all I have is this chair and some pictures.

It's more than 100 years old- so don't break it.

No pressure. ; )

I hope that's the only time we have to do that.

You and I learned just what a pain in the butt tubes can be.

Your ears started leaking fluid on friday night. They can do that with tubes- in fact, they should. The fuild coming out of your left ear went from clear to this awesomely gross green-brown color by last night. They shouldn't keep leaking fluid and go unchecked and they really should be checked if the fluid isn't clear.

We went to the ENT office where they had to suction both of your ears out. That might be your least favorite thing this week, or even this month. I'll let you know.

Your left tube was totally plugged- which totally sucks. But Lucy fixed it.

Now let's keep those suckers clear so we don't have to do that again, k?

I'm pretty sure you just made Miss Tanya's day...

As we were leaving Day Care today you started leaing towards your old room so we stopped in to see Miss Tanya for a little bit. You ran around playing with the toys and watching the little babes.

When I picked you up to leave I asked if you could say bye bye to Miss Tanya- instead you blew her a kiss. Every time after that I said the words "blow a kiss" you;d blow her another one.

We both thought it was super cute.
I'm glad you FINALLY learned that trick!

Today, has been terrible for me.

It hasn't been so great for you either. You had your adenoids out, tubes put in and an endoscopy.

I woke you up early so that you could have some water or juice before we went to the hospital. You couldn't have any milk or food after midnight, which wasn't so bad because you slept through most of that. But after 7:00A this morning you couldn't have anything, before that you could have clear liquids. You weren't interested in anything to drink at 6:00A, you just wanted to go back to sleep, I should have expected that.

We sat in the living room watching Sesame Street while we were waiting for daddy to get home, the rest of the morning seemed to drag on for-ever. You and I headed to admissions while daddy parked the car. Miss Michelle put a hospital bracelet on your ankle which DID NOT amuse you. Putting your socks back on over it fixed it all- thank heavens.

We were on the 9^th floor for more than two hours just... waiting. We didn't know it then, but there was a problem with the first patient of the day so everyone else ended up being pushed back more than 1.5H. You could have cared less. There were plenty of toys and crayons to keep you happy. I on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to wiggle and whine in my chair.

Eventually we went down to the 2^nd floor where we sat for another hour or so, again it seemed much longer to me. We still had to talk to the anesthesiologist and ENT before you actually went in to the operating room- everyone told me the day would drag on but I had no idea that it was going to feel so painfully slow. I didn't know that when they told us we were going "down stairs" that it meant in to the OR, so I didn't bring your Elmo. That meant daddy had to ride the terrible, slow, TINY elevator back up to 9, ask the nurse to open your locker and then make it back down to 2. Pretty sure he wasn't a fan of me at that point. I said I was sorry though. When he went on that trek you started the meltdown that I'd been waiting for all morning. You were tired and hungry- and just generally very sad. I asked if I could go with you in to the operating room- I didn't want you to go in upset and just get worse when you weren't with us anymore. Thankfully you fell asleep after I talked to the anaesthesiologist and before the ENT came to talk to us.

You were in the operating room for about 45min. That time seemed to fly, I was grateful for that. There was a tube helping you breathe while they were operating on you, when they took it out you started crying and wouldn't stop. You were still asleep which made everything that much more complicated. Parents aren't allowed in the recovery area until their child is awake. Your doctor had the nurses come to get me because she didn't want you ripping any of the stitches open in your throat while you were crying.

I am so glad she had them come get me.

You were sad and confused. You wanted someone's ears to hold and someone to hold you. I was more than willing to hold you and let you grab my ears. You were trying to rip off every wire they had attached to you. There was one for oxygen, 2 for your heart rate, a blood pressure cuff and your IV's. You wanted every one, OFF. I took disconnected what I could and turned you around so I could hold you and you could hold my ears. After I got you up on my shoulder the nurse got them back on so she could check your vitals so that we could leave the recovery area.

When we finally made it home you slept for 6 hours straight. You managed to eat four fruit and veg pouches when you woke up. It still seems like a lot of food- but you hadn't eaten in 24h. That's a long time for a little person with the kind of appetite you normally have.

You're not really interested in going back to sleep just yet. You'd rather snuggle with me and daddy on the couch watching a movie and that is perfectly fine with us.

A note from your 17mos old self

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